


The Depths of Time

by LuciferxDamien



Category: Rurouni Kenshin
Genre: Aging, M/M, Melancholy, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-06-30 13:36:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19854280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuciferxDamien/pseuds/LuciferxDamien
Summary: Time presses on for everyone, though some months are harder than others.





	The Depths of Time

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Shiritori, on the [writetomyheart LJ comm](https://writetomyheart.livejournal.com/). My starting word was: _"February”_.

February... 

February was when the cold truly settled into Saitou's bones, reminded of his advancing age. A sigh left his breast and he flinched, remembering he was not alone as he sat on the second floor of their home, looking into the snowy, dormant garden, the cold, crisp air swirling around him. 

"Saitou?" A deep, young voice whispered to him and Saitou sighed again, eyes clenched shut. 

"It is nothing..." A lie and he knew Sanosuke would detect it.

Warm arms came around him, pulling him close and Saitou did not know if it were a comfort or merely an extension of his pain. 

“Y’ll heal, just as y’always do, Saitou. Y’just gotta give it some time…” Sanosuke whispered and Saitou wished his youthful words were true. 

Saitou’s age was upon him now, nearly half a century of life, and he felt weariness deep in his bones. He supposed Sanosuke was no longer that cocky young thing, now the same age Saitou had been, when they first met. 

The years had fluttered by, like cherry blossoms.

“I am old, now…” Saitou sighed, wanting to pull away from Sanosuke’s warmth, but terrified of its loss. 

“An’ I am not so young, either anymore. We both grow one year older, this month.” His words reverberated through Saitou, his voice so strong. 

The garden was blindingly white and Saitou shut his eyes, reaching cold fingers up to grasp at a strong arm. His leg ached, blackened and purpled and Saitou could only pray to the gods that it was not broken. He should retire from the police, he should lay his sword to rest, just as the rest of Japan had… 

Saitou shook and Sanosuke held him until he felt calm again. 

“C’mon… The cold makes ya more sour than usual.” There was no hesitation in Sanosuke’s movements, reaching past Saitou to close the wooden shouji. When Sanosuke moved to pick him up in his arms, Saitou did not resist and let himself be carried down to the main floor, where the irori was, where they would sleep and Sanosuke would care for Saitou’s leg. 

Sanosuke had grown out of his wiry body of youth, now thick with muscle and long hair. Saitou had grown thinner, missing the long hair of his youth, and the cold affected so much more.

February always did its best to remind Saitou of the passage of time.

**Author's Note:**

> Sometimes (haha, more like all of the time!) I like picking on Saitou and exploring sad themes!


End file.
